Elegant decor, multimedia draw visitors to China's first national wetland museum

After months of restoration work, the National Wetland Museum of China has become a wanghong (Internet sensation) thanks to its multimedia display and elegant decor. Last weekend, over 10,000 people flocked to the museum.

The museum is the country's first wetland museum, providing visitors with a comprehensive image of wetlands' ecology and culture. It is inside the Xixi Wetland Park, sometimes known as "the lungs of Hangzhou," and is the only national wetland park that includes both urban and rural marshes.

In addition to regular public transportation, the waterfront can be accessed by a boat ride connecting the museum and Xixi Wetland piers.

The rebuilt site has been expanded to 8,500 square meters, including immersive digital space and various exhibition halls.

The lobby now showcases an artistic installation titled "Life Boat," which features texts from the Ramsar Convention and symbolizes the wetlands' role as the cradle of life.

Xixi Wetland is listed on the Ramsar Convention Wetlands List, which internationally recognizes sites for their significant importance both to their home country and to humanity as a whole.

The first floor of the museum introduces visitors to the wetlands through interactive installations and simulated geological environments. The digital facilities present scenarios to raise visitors' awareness of how nature and humans should live.

The museum has created artificial geological landscapes that depict the species in their natural habitats, in contrast to other displays that place specimens in sterile glass cases.

Wetlands are vital for ecology because they help with water purification, flood control and coastal stability. They are also considered biologically diverse because they support a wide range of plant and animal species. Wetlands, with their weeds, shrimp and fish, provide a great habitat for birds.

Organizers have set aside space to introduce the wetlands in China. The country has extensive wetlands that range from tropical to subtropical, coastal to interior. Different varieties are distributed throughout China, with a diverse range of landscapes and natural resources that enhance the country's history and culture.

Take Zhejiang Province as an example. Mudflats, shoals and marshes account for 10.9 percent of the province's total geographical area. It has served as an important stop along the East Asia-Australasia migratory corridor for birds such as black storks, swans, Oriental white storks, black-faced spoonbills and larger white-fronted geese.

The Qiantang River Greater Bay Area Wetland Park is still being built. The new park is four times as large as Xixi Wetland. They both serve as Hangzhou's lung and bird sanctuary.

The exhibition halls on the second floor focus mostly on the history and culture of Xixi Wetland. People arrived there centuries ago to live by fishing and planting. They moved out 20 years ago to protect the area.

Visitors can watch a screening of Xixi's four seasons, showcasing the marsh's dramatic transformations throughout the year.

In the spring, hundreds of types of flowers blossom; in the summer, the lush greenery is vibrant and teeming with life as dragonflies dart over the water; in the fall, fiery persimmon fruits dangle from the trees; and in the winter, silvery reed floats in the wind as fishermen set out for a catch.

There are around 7,000 persimmon trees throughout the park, with an annual production of 75,000 kg. Persimmon trees were planted centuries ago. The sweet-tasting fruit provided energy when food was limited and added flavor to bland meals.

Reeds are another attraction. In early January, white and silver reeds blossom in the wetlands. A traditional Hangzhou pastime involves taking a boat into the inner shoals and lingering over the reeds that shimmer in the winter breeze.

If you go

Hours: 9am-4:30pm (closed on Mondays)

Admission: Free

Address: 402 Tianmushan Rd

天目山路402号